Mynara Stife
by narcissisticSpaghetti
Summary: The story of Mynara Strife, adoptive daughter to Cloud Strife. Ancient daughter of a forgotten civilization, and all the adventures she finds in a modern world.    AkuRokuMyn  Multiple pairings of the Organization XIII,  other things.
1. Prologue

Cloud, this place is creepy. Jane mumbles, lurking down close to the ground. She stumbles. "Eek!" she squeaks, flapping her arms. Cloud reaches out to help her, but Snow gets there first. He helps her up and she leans against him for a few seconds. She looks down, trying to find what she tripped over. "Ugh, yuck!" on the floor is a skull, bleached and cracked. A wide hole extended around the eye socket.  
>"Wow, this place is amazing!" Claryssa looks over the walls, and finds a small alcove. Inside is a small puddle of black ooze. "I wonder what that is?"<br>"Well, I wouldn't touch it, if I were you." Snow says, taking a few more steps down the corridor.  
>"Well, we got what we came for, now we just gotta get out alive. Why did we take this job anyway? We don't even need the money!"<br>"It's good money, and these people needed the Supplies. That's why. Come on." Cloud continued to walk down the corridor, head held high, looking around.  
>"So, we did this for them?" Snow mutters. Cloud doesn't answer.<br>Suddenly, everything is dark. They can't see at all. They move forward. They see a light, at the far end of a long tunnel.  
>"Look, a way out of this hole! Let's go!" Jane starts running, carrying the huge burlap sack over her shoulder.<br>They all star to run, but after a while they realize it isn't a way out, but a door into a large and well decorated room, with crystal chandeliers and silver candelabras. The whole room is completely spotless and everything shines in the light from the single lit sconce in the doorway.  
>Across the room, is a huge ornate door, with carvings and all sorts of stuff. Above the door is a huge swirling pattern of swirls, tails, and spirals, black on silver, and mirrored in the middle. The door looks welcoming and inviting.<br>"Well, this is weird" Snow states the obvious.  
>"Duh!" comes the nasty comeback from Jane. "We are in an abandoned castle, that hasn't been lived in for centuries, it's old run down and slimy, and we just found a giant, pristine room that looks like it was polished hours ago! Duh it's weird! I wanna get the Frick out of here!"<br>"Well, that door seems to be a likely exit," Yuffie puts in. "We gonna open it?"  
>"Claryssa?" Cloud asks. "What do you think?"<br>"It, this door..." she runs her hands over the silver and the black inlay. "So powerful. Just one door. But the prize is beyond the next door."  
>"Next door?" Jane asks, raising a perfect eyebrow. "What next door? This is the only door in the room. the only one we haven't been through yet, that is."<br>"There is a door beyond this one, and beyond that lies great power. But there is a protection spell on the other door. You mustn't touch it!"  
>"Great." Jane said sarcastically. She leans over and whispers to Cloud. "Why did we have to bring her along again? Why didn't you just leave her at the village?"<br>"She is a witch, we could use her help. If we didn't have her, we wouldn't know about the protection spell, now would we?" he says, giving her a one arm hug. "Besides, she wants to learn and practice, how am I supposed to say no to that?"  
>"No." Jane whispers sullenly.<br>"Well. do we go look for it? Or do we get out of here now and call it a job?" Cloud looks at his friends and smiles. "We go for the prize it is."  
>He pushes on the doors, and they don't move.<br>"They open towards us, idiot." Henry laughs and slaps him on the shoulder "Right," Cloud mutters and pulls instead. Snow pulls on the other door and they slip through. Immediately, the entire ballroom goes black, all the candles are snuffed and it's suddenly very cold. The huge silver doors close behind them with a resounding *BOOOOOOMMMM* and they are thrown into complete black.

"Ow! That's my toe!" someone yells, and a thud is heard.  
>"Crap!" an easily recognizable voice is heard. "My weapon, it fell!" He gets onto his knees and feels around for it.<br>"Um, Snow?" Jane says.  
>"Yeah?"<br>"Can you move your hand? Please?"  
>"Oh! Oh sure! Oops, sorry." shuffling. "Better?"<br>"Much. Now where are we?"  
>A bright orange light, pierces the darkness and they all blink in the unexpected brightness. "Sorry" Claryssa says. "Figured you might like some light to see."<br>"Thanks." Cloud gets up and looks around. "Well, those are obviously the doors we just came through," he says, indicating the large silver doors on his right."But there's another door here. Claryssa was right. Well done." he walks over to the door to his left and tries to push it open.  
>"No!" Claryssa grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the door. "If you go through, it will sap your energy away. It takes a powerful spell to break the barrier. It will take a while."<br>He looks down at her."Okay. Do that. Meanwhile, what are we going to do? We can't just sit here like idiots."  
>"Well, I'll help the girl." Snow says, taking her hand. "Use my strength. I want this done as soon as possible."<br>"Thank you. I could use some help." She starts to mutter something under her breath. "Oh, and it may hurt a little. Actually, a lot. You sure you wanna help?"  
>"Of course I am." they smile at each other and she keeps muttering.<br>"Oh, he's just looking to get lucky." Jane mutters to Henry. He snickers.  
>After a while, the door starts to glow, and Snow lets out a quiet whimper.<br>"Are you okay?" Jane asks.  
>"Yeah, just a little queasy is all." He sits down. "Is it open?"<br>"You can go through, but it will only be open for about a minute until someone goes through it. who will go?" Claryssa looks around.  
>"I'm going." Cloud said.<br>"Okay, you go in now, you can come out safe and sound."  
>"Good." He takes a step foreword, and opens the door. More blackness. He steps through anyway. "Hey, I can see. It's bright in here."<br>Claryssa lets her arms down and sighs. "Well, we still cannot see. Care to tell us what you've found?"  
>"A girl. There's a girl in here. She seems to be floating on something, but I can"t see it."<br>"Describe her to us," Henry suggests.  
>"White. Lots of white. Her hair, her skin, her clothes, all white. But she looks like she has a bunch of tattoos, like on the doors."<br>"Well, we should leave soon, so come on and find that "powerful thing" Claryssa said she felt. Let's get out of here. You know I have claustrophobia." Jane snapped.  
>'I think we should go to." Claryssa said looking around anxiously. "Something is stirring. Something powerful and big."<br>"You heard the woman. Let's go!" Snow jokes, poking her in the arm.  
>"I'm coming." Cloud says, footsteps ringing out in the silence. "Let's go."<br>"All right." Claryssa puts a hand out to touch Cloud. "Woah. What was that?"  
>"What was what?" He asks.<br>"That power I felt just now. It came from you."  
>"What?"<br>"I touched you, and I felt power. Why?"  
>"You didn't touch me. You probably touched her."<br>"Her?" Claryssa asks.  
>";Wait, you brought her with you? Why?" Jane demanded.<br>"We can't really bring her with us, can we?" Snow asks.  
>"We're taking her with us, Snow. And that's final. We're going to help her."<br>"Well, we have to get a move on, or we won't get out of here ever." Henry puts in.  
>"Let's go."<br>Cloud takes three steps toward the big silver doors. Suddenly, they burst open. Light fills the room, as candles, thousands of them, begin to light themselves, one by one, until in less than thirty seconds the entire room is lit with bright light.  
>"Um, that didn't happen last time." Jane points out.<br>"It's the girl." Claryssa mutters. "The power I felt, it was her."  
>"Her? How does she have power?"<br>"I don't know how she got it, most likely she was born with it."  
>"Hmm, interesting theory. Well, letâ€™s get out of here."<br>"Yeah, but, how are we going to do that, captain obvious?" Jane smirked.  
>"I don't know. Claryssa, could you do a spell?"<br>"Yeah, I could. But I'd need to touch her."  
>"Why?" Cloud asks her.<br>"I won't have enough power otherwise. She's powerful. I'm not."  
>"Alright, then let's go."<br>Claryssa puts a hand on the girl's leg and shudders. "Woah. Okay, everyone put a hand on me, or her. You have to unless you want to be left behind."  
>They all put their hands on those two. And they all start to glow the same orange as the light before. They all disappear.<p>

They appear outside of the castle. And they all start running, carrying the burlap sacks and Cloud carrying the white girl. 


	2. Nightmare

"Clair? Clair? Are you there? Clair?"  
>No answer...<br>"Clair? This is so not funny! Clair!"  
>Still, no answer...<br>"Clair?" I whisper into the blackness. It feels as though it is going to swallow me up...  
>"Clair..." I squeak, panic raising hotter and faster than before.<br>I hear a rumbling voice, humming to me, a sweet song, my mother used to sing for me as a young kid. "She's not here," My mother's voice rolls out of the gloom. "But I am here for you, my darling."  
>I feel something warm and soft, touch my naked shoulder, curling around me, like a hug. Two of them, hugging me from behind. It feels like my mom, hugging me like she did when I was scared as a little one.<br>"There, there, darling. It's okay, mommy's got you."  
>I snuggle into her, inhaling the sweet smell of her; Tobacco, greens, and lemongrass. I loved the smell of her lemongrass perfume. Memories of good time, sweeping through my head. I name off her smells over and over in my head, to calm myself.<br>Tobacco, greens, lemongrass; tobacco, greens, lemongrass; tobacco, greens, lemongrass, Sulfur...  
>Wait... Sulfur? That wasn't right...<br>I look up at my mother, not my mother... a huge hulking shape.  
>Not my mother. I scream, pulling away from whatever it was. I turn around and flee, tripping and stumbling, trying to get away. I don't know how long I ran, but I was exhausted when I finally collapsed on the floor of dark sand and cold hard rock. I see a light in the distance, I get up and try to reach it. I kept going until I could plainly see the opening of the cave, before I collapsed again.<br>I close my eyes and rest.

"Ugh?" Bright light, all around me. So bright I can't see. "Where am I?" I rub my eyes and sit up, but I'm too dizzy, so I fall back down. Soft. Underneath me felt soft...  
>Pillows? Blankets? A real bed? Ooh thank goodness. I inhale the sweet smell of the sheets, they smell like lavender and vanilla. And so soft and silky. A little too warm for my taste, but anything this good has to have a flaw of some sort.<br>"Oh! You're awake! Good!" A strange voice says faintly. I loose consciousness again though. 


	3. Wake up

"Ugh." She sits up and looks around her. "Where am I?"  
>"Oh! You're awake! Good!" Arith fusses, Helping her to sit up. But she just feints again.<p>"Aaaaahhhhhhhg! Aaaaahhhh!" She sits up screaming, eyes wide with fright and her entire body aching. "Aaaaahhhhh! What the hell? Where the fuck am I?" She yells. "Heeeeelllllp!"<br>"It's okay, you're okay, I won't hurt you." Arith reaches out soothingly to stroke her hair and help her in any way possible.  
>"Wh-who are you?" The girl looks at Arith distrustfully, "Where am I?"<br>"My name is Arith, and you are in my home. This is the spare bedroom in my house. You will be safe here." Arith strokes her hair and soothes her.  
>"Arith," the girl mumbles. "Who is, Cloud?"<br>"Cloud? Cloud is my close friend, and fiance. Why? Do you remember him?"  
>"Only his name. And the name, Snow. Whoa, dizzy." she falls back onto the pillows behind her.<br>Suddenly, Cloud comes rushing in in a panic. "Is she hurt? Is she okay? I heard her screaming and, what is going on?"  
>"She's okay, Cloud. Just a little scared, that's all. Anyway, I hope you don't mind that I gave her your shirt. Just because those robes have got to be way too hot under blankets." Arith smiles and puts a hand on the girls shoulder, continuing stroking with the other.<br>"Good, no one's hurt." Cloud turns to go away.  
>"Cloud," The girl mumbles. He whirls. "Thank you," and then she falls asleep again.<p>

"Should we wake her up, yo? I don't think this much sleeping is healthy, yo."  
>"No. Leave her be. She is tired."<br>"She's been asleep for days, yo! What about food? And water?"  
>"She wakes up sometimes. We feed her then."<br>"I do not recall you telling us if she had a name, Cloud."  
>"We don't know yet, haven't had a chance to ask her."<br>"Well, next time she wakes up, do that, yo!"  
>"Stop with the 'Yo', Reno. It's annoying."<br>"No way, yo!"

She wakes up, her eyes opening wide and she looks around the room. Arith is sitting beside the bed again, and she has a large tray of pancakes and bacon, toast and orange juice included.  
>"Hungry?" she smiles.<br>"Am I? I'm starving. Thank you." Arith places the tray on her lap and watches her tear into the food. "I'm glad you're hungry. You've barely eaten anything since Cloud and the others brought you here. If you weren't, it would not be natural."  
>The girl laughs, and stuffs another bite into her already full mouth.<br>When she is finished, Arith takes the tray and walks out of the room, with a promise to be right back.  
>The girl takes sock of her surroundings. Warm bed, big fluffy sheets and thick pillows. Clean and tidy room, a dresser on the wall and a desk in the corner. The desk has a computer on it. "Sectors with computers," the girl muses. She looks down at herself. "A way to big t-shirt?" she mumbles.<br>That's when Arith comes back. With a long dress and a sweater. "These may be a bit big on you, but try them on." She helps her put on the clothes, which do prove to be too big, but they work. For all intents and purposes.  
>"All righty then, let's get you downstairs. Cloud will be waiting for a name and some questions. Don't blame him, he's just curious and a little suspicious."<br>"I won't," the girl nods. "But, wait." she stops on the first stair. "I haven't given you my name yet, have I?"  
>"No," Arith shakes he head. "You haven't."<br>"Oh. My name is Mynara."  
>"Mynara. That is a pretty name. Do you know what it means or where it came from?"<br>"No. All I know is that." Mynara shakes her head this time.  
>"Mynara. Well, tell that to cloud!" Arith continues to help her down. <p>


	4. A family

"Mynara, huh? It's a beautiful name. My name, as you probably know by now is Cloud."  
>"I know who you are." She mumbles. She is shy, and confused.<br>"How have you been doing?" He asks, watching her from his place against the wall.  
>"I have been well, thank you. Arith has been a great help in feeling better. But I am a little curious. Where am I?"<br>"Sector eight. This is Sector eight and Arith and I live here. You may too, if you like."  
>"I would. Thank you. Hmm. I wonder if I have ever been here before. It doesn't trigger any memories, so perhaps not." She musses.<br>"What do you mean? And where do you come from?" He seems genuinely curious.  
>"I mean, I don't know if I have ever been here."<br>"Well then, were do you come from? Again."  
>"I don't know, somewhere. Don't you know?"<br>"All I know was that you were unconscious in a room when I found you. And then we brought you here."  
>"Oh, well then, I have absolutely no idea where I am from then." She tells him. "All I know is my name."<br>"Your name? That's it?" she nods. "Well then, you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you wish."  
>"Thank you, yet again. For everything. And I would love to stay here."<br>"Let's informally adopt her!" Arith says with a big smile, hugging Mynara from behind and giggling.  
>"Sound good to me! I like it here." Mynara smiles warmly and giggles with Arith.<br>Cloud watches them with a distant smile. "All right. It's settled. You can stay with us."  
>"YAY!" Arith lets go of Mynara and they both throw themselves at him, throwing him to the ground in a giggle fit.<p>"Cloud, can you hand me that plate?"<br>"Sure." He hands her a large plate, heaping with food. "Where to?"  
>"I got it." she takes it and sets it down on the table. "There." The table is covered in food, heaping plates of it. And it looks delicious.<br>"You really outdo yourself, every time. Don't you?" Cloud says smiling at her affectionately. "I love that about you."  
>"Well, I love everything about you." she puts her hands on his chest and kisses him. He puts his hands on her hips and they just stand there for a while.<br>What they don't know, is that a little White girl is watching them from the doorway.  
>'I wish I had someone like that.' she think to herself. 'Someone to kiss me that passionately.'<br>The doorbell rings. "I'll get it! She yells, jumping up from her hiding spot and rushing for the front room. She pulls the door open.  
>"Hey! You're up, yo! And looking healthy!" Reno smiles, throwing his arms into the air.<br>"Reno!" she hugs him, and lets him and Rude inside. They walk into the kitchen and Arith greets them. Cloud had gone to get something, so he wasn't there.  
>"My, my. The place is spotless. Every time, It's completely clean. Well done Arith!" Reno goes to inspect the sink. And then he goes back to the front room and sits down in a big chair. "Hey, Mynara, come here a second!" He calls.<br>"Okay!" she bounces into the room and sits down on the arm of the chair. They start talking about random things and Rude busies himself with something. Arith is still putting food on the table. After a while, more people come until there are about twenty of them. And they all sit down to eat on This most special day, Cloud's birthday. And they day Mynara was announced to be a "part of the gang now, yo!" as Reno put it.

"Shopping! You gotta come with me, really you do! You need some of your own clothes, not walking around in Arith's old clothes! Or even Cloud's big shirts! You need your own wardrobe!"  
>"Yuffie! I don't have any money!" And I like Arith's stuff. She didn't add the last part.<br>"Than ask Cloud for some! Come one! It'll be fun!"  
>"Will there be people?" Mynara was a little shy about to many people.<br>"Tons of them, all doing the same thing we will!" Shopping! Come on!"  
>"Umm..." She didn't really want to go, but Yuffie was so enthusiastic... "Okay. I'll go shopping with you."<br>"Hooray! Cloud?" She went running to find him. "Cloud, can I have some money to take Mynara out shopping? Please?"  
>"Uh, okay. Sure. How much?" he pulls out his wallet and riffles through it.<br>"I don't know, A hundred? She needs a whole new wardrobe! All her own clothes!"  
>"Uh, I can give you a hundred and twenty. I just got a bunch from the bank, so here." He hands Mynara a large handful of money. "Get yourself something to wear and something to eat, and then use as much as you want. you can keep the change."<br>"Hooray! Thank you Cloud!" Yuffie hugs him tight, and then Grabs Mynara's hand and pulls her off to the mall. 


	5. Caught up in life

Cloud could hear Yuffie yelling from two whole blocks away. "Great," he thought. "What is it now?"  
>He stood up, placing the report he was reading down on the table and walking over to the window. He couldn't see them anywhere so he turned to go downstairs. "Arith, I think Yuffie and Mynara are coming back now. Can you get me an aspirin?"<br>"Don't be mean, Cloud!" she calls back from the kitchen. "Just be patient." but she comes out and hands him a small burrito to snack on. "Here, eat up. We're going to dinner soon, so that's all you get." She reaches up on tip-toe and kisses him on the lips quickly, and then goes over to the door and opens it.  
>Yuffie stood there, her hand poised to knock. She looked surprised, but got over it quickly and stood to attention. Her outfit was completely different, right down to the shoes. Instead of her usual outfit, she had on a bright blue top, that had a big black 4 on it, a pair of skinny jeans, with black and white embroidery, and a cute little denim hat with gold buttons. Her shoes were a simple white pair of tennies.<br>"Ahem! I present to you," she made grand movements with her arms and made her voice vibrate with bravado. She looked ridiculous.  
>"Oh just do it! You look stupid!" Mynara whispered to her.<br>"Fine. I present to you, Mynara!"  
>"You're impossible."<br>"You're up."  
>"Shut up." Both girls giggled and Mynara walked around the corner into view of her adoptive parents.<br>She wore a simple white outfit, that showed off her stomach and her right arm, as well as a little too much collar. "What do you think?"  
>"I think that you look beautiful, Mynara. Really."<br>Mynara smiled, and pulled her hands in front of her in a shy gesture. "Thank you, Arith."  
>"I think you look great, buy your tattoos are very prominent in that outfit. Are you sure you want to wear that?"<br>"Yes, I like it, it's comfortable and it's nice. It's not scratchy like some of the other things Yuffie had me try on..." she glared at the girl mentioned. Yuffie just grinned.  
>"Well then, I think it looks fine, Nice choices, honey."<br>"Yay!" Mynara lunged forward and hugged Cloud tightly. "Thanks,"  
>"You're very welcome." He placed a hand on her head, petting her hair. For the moment, he had completely forgotten about the money she would owe him now.<p>One week later, Cloud had to take Mynara to find a friend of his. She was still sixteen, therefore she could stay home alone for a while, but she was also sixteen, meaning that with Arith being gone, and Cloud having to go somewhere for a few days, he had to take her with him.<br>Arith was away on a trip with a few friends for about a week. Leaving Cloud stuck with Mynara.  
>"Okay, you're going to meet my friends, just a few of them, so be nice. Most of them I work with, so I can't have a reputation for ANYTHING, got it?"<br>"You've never been a father very long, haven't you?"  
>"No, only since I found you. Can you keep quiet and leave everything alone?"<br>"Sure, I can do that," she promised. "Who will be there?"  
>"Reno, Rude, and Gail you already know, but there are a bunch of soldiers you don't know too."<br>"Okay, I can do that. Will I get to meet any of them?"  
>"Almost certainly, but there will be almost no kids there." He looked over at her in the car. "You're old enough, I'm sure they might let you in the weight room for a swim. You could go get a suit nearby."<br>"I like swimming, but not alone."  
>"You won't be alone, there should be tons of other people there."<br>"Mostly soldiers, right? I don't mind, I can find some way to occupy myself." She pulled at a stray lock of hair hanging in front of her eye. "It's okay, don't worry." 


	6. Sephiroth

Of course he worried.  
>He worried the whole time he was walking into the meeting, with her at his side. He worried as he greeted everyone. He worried as he introduced her to his companions and friends. He worried as he brought her to the council room, to meet his boss. He worried as he introduced her to Angeal, to Tseng, to Haley, to Yazongi, and to all the other above or below him. And he worried the most, as the meeting began, and Mynara had to go.<br>"Here, take my cell phone. If you need me, call Reno. He's right over there, and we will sit next to each other. You know his number, text him. I'll get back to you soon."  
>"Stop worrying, Cloud! I'll be fine! I can walk around outside, you can call or text when you get out. It's fine, calm down."<br>"You're so mature," he realized. "Oh well, you're right. Got it. See you in a few hours."  
>"Bye, Cloud." she called, and then she turned around and walked down the long hallway. On her way to the front desk to look for some help as to were to hang out.<p>"Hello?"<br>"Oh, hello, darling? How are you today?" the lady behind the desk said. She had long blond hair, big blue eyes and a charming smile.  
>"Hi, I need a little help, please? The person I'm with is in that meeting in there," she pointed to the big doors she had just walked away from, "And I need to know where I should be for the time he's in there."<br>"Who are you with, girl?" the lady asked, with pen and paper ready.  
>"Mynara,"<br>"And, first name?"  
>"No, Mynara IS my first name."<br>"Ah, I'm sorry." She scribbled something down. "And your last name?"  
>"Uh," She had no idea. She only knew her first name, and she wasn't sure that it was her real name, or at least not all of it. "Strife." she told the lady. True enough.<br>"Mynara, Strife. Okay, and who are you with?"  
>"My father, Cloud Strife." again, close enough to the truth to tell her that.<br>"Cloud?" the lady pulled down her glasses and took a closer look. "You look nothing like him. Are you sure you're his daughter?"  
>"Actually, I'm adopted, but he is my father."<br>"Makes more sense. Was there anything in particular you needed?"  
>"He told me there was a pool and weight room, and a running track and such, where would that be, and can I go in there?"<br>"The fitness center? Sure you can go there, you can use the sadly desolate and underused womens locker room. Here, you can get a key from here, you can have a locker for now. I can show you where it is." the blond got up, and grabbed a key from a drawer. She was about to leave the desk, when a tall man was suddenly behind Mynara. "Sephiroth, how very pleasant to see you, sir. Do you need anything?"  
>"That key, I can take her to the locker rooms." he held out his hand for the key, a slight smile on his face.<br>"Ah, no, I can take her, thank you, sir, but I can handle it." She looked determined to contradict this man, at all costs.  
>"No, I will take the girl, I wish to speak with her." He placed his hand on her shoulder, keeping his other hand out for the key.<br>"Why don't we let the girl go alone? She can find it, can't you?"  
>"I guess I could," Mynara was a little uneasy, not understanding, but she did not much like the man behind her, with his foreign hand on her almost bare shoulder.<br>"There, right that way. And Sephiroth? Can you come with me, please?"  
>"Goodbye, mam." Mynara ran off in the direction she had been pointed in.<p>

'Locker rooms, man left, woman right.' read the sign. She went right.  
>The first room she went through, was somewhat big, and had about seven pieces of furniture. She went through and looked at the pictures on the wall. One of them was a big portrait of four dogs, that looked like they were playing cards. She thought of it as a very strange thing, to put on the walls of any room.<br>"Way! So I told her, that his sons name was Gerald, and she totally believed me! She freaked! And then this- who are you?"  
>Two women came walking past her, a tall brunette with green eyes and a shorter girl with bubblegum pink and purple hair and bright blue eyes. The brunette had been the one talking as they walked past.<br>"Me?" Mynara was confused.  
>"Yes, you, do you see anyone else around here? What's your name?"<br>"Mynara, and you?"  
>"I'm Selphei Camerons," the brunette introduced herself.<br>"Kailey Burnside," the pinkette said. "How old are you?"  
>"About sixteen." Mynara was a little happier with having met someone.<br>"I'm twenty, and Kay's nineteen. Have we seen you before?"  
>"No, I'm just visiting while my father is in conference for a few days. We're staying here for the week. I've never been here before."<br>"Ah, nice. Well, you're lucky, we work here. Are you going swimming?"  
>"Maybe, I was considering it."<br>"Cool, you can come with us and hang out. Get to know each other."  
>"Sure, why not? It's a good thing I'm wearing my bikini under this already." Most of her underwear could double as a swimsuit, as she found it comfortable and convenient.<br>"Cool, let's go." The other two girls walked away, and Mynara followed them.  
>As they walked out of the building, they all cried out in pain as the sun outside was too bright, as opposed to the darker interior of the building.<br>"It's so bright, dang." Selphei complained.  
>"Ow! I hit my toe on something!" Mynara shouted.<br>"Oh, I'm so sorry, young lady, I may have stood a bit too close."  
>Mynara froze. <p>


	7. The pool

"Oh, here." The tall man held out his arm and blocked the sun for Mynara, so that she could see. But all she really could see was him and his broad chest.  
>"You," he stood there, in the sun, a playful and suggestive smirk on his face, which lead her to believe he wanted something from her. "What do you want?"<br>"Oh, my gosh, he KNOWS her? You have GOT to be kidding me, no FAIR!" Mynara could hear Selphi complaining behind her, quietly. Sephiroth payed them no attention.  
>"Do you remember my name?"<br>"Sephiroth," Mynara said, quietly.  
>"Correct. Now, young girl, I have a proposal to make to you, may I proceed?"<br>"No." She hadn't even met him yet, and she did NOT like him in the slightest. "Now, may I go swimming, please?"  
>"Of course, who am I to stop you? But, May I join you?"<br>"Who am I, to stop you?" she hissed. She pushed her way past him, biting her lip.  
>The other women giggled and pulled off their robes and jumped into the water, swimming across the long pool in the lanes.<br>"Ladies first," Sephiroth bowed, and stepped aside, offering her first go at a dive.  
>"Actually, I don't think I know how to swim; why don't you go?"<br>"Don't know how to swim? Haven't you ever been to a pool?"  
>"I;m not sure, I have memory problems, kind of, so yeah, not sure." Why was she explaining this to him? That didn't seem very smart. 'Self, shut up!' she thought.<br>"I'll go," he agreed. He stood on the edge of the pool, pulled off his shoes and reached for the buttons of his shirt.  
>The women on the other side of the pool stopped to watch him, avidly, as he began to pull the buttons out. Mynara found herself mildly curious as to why, so she leaned to see better, too.<br>She soon found out why.  
>He pulled the shirt off, dramatically, though it took him no effort at all. His chest was broad, flat and heavily muscled. His pale skin shone like polished alabaster in the sunlight, and his smirk seemed a LOT more attractive.<br>"Oh," Mynara squeaked, shyly, as he started for his pants. She felt temped to turn around and hide, but she was fascinated.  
>His pants fell, his white shorts seemed like too much in the way of anything on his body, and she found herself, for the first time she remembered, fantasizing about what he hid under the white cloth...<br>His muscles tensed, and he leapt into the water, beautifully executed and cut the water in the most wondrous way, leaving barely a ripple in his wake.  
>The girls squealed and giggled together, as his head poked up to the surface, his long white hair floating up to dance lightly on the water's surface.<br>"Come one in, it's warm." He invited, and she wanted to follow him.  
>"I'll be a little clumsy, but okay." she took a few steps forward and then stopped. There was no WAY she could look that glorious, compared to him, EVER. "Uh,"<br>"Com on, you'll do fine, if you need it, I can help you. Trust me."  
>"Okay," good thing those girls were at the other end, and they couldn't hear her, she would have died of embarrassment.<br>She reached for the bottom of her shirt, and pulled it off, quickly and as smoothly as she could. And then untied her thin white belt and pulled off her pants, leaving her skin exposed and standing there in a white bikini, that seemed to ONLY cover what was necessary. She felt exposed and weak, ugly and stupid, so she hurried to get in the water.  
>"You look amazing, give it a try at a dive, come on, you'll do fine." His voice was so alluring, she wanted to do what he asked, no matter what.<br>She surveyed the water's surface, and did her best to analyze, calculate, but she didn't seem to understand it, so she just went.  
>Into the water, cold at first, and then warm to comfortable. Perfect.<br>She cut into the water twice as beautifully as he had, leaving less of a ripple than he did himself, her body cutting like a knife through the surface tension, leaving nothing to suggest she had been there.  
>She dove under he water, and went deep as she could.<br>The pool itself was about thirty feet deep, government-owned, therefore expensive tile and deep as can get; tiled in white, amazingly shiny and clean, and she cut through easily, like she had been born there, in the water. She kicked her legs gracefully and looked up when she felt she couldn't stay under for much longer.  
>She saw his face, amazed, curious and warm, glowing almost at her, inviting her to come back to him.<br>Her head broke the surface, and she spit out a stream of water, and then she retreated, shrinking in on herself, retracting into herself.  
>"That probably looked awful, sorry."<br>"No, that was amazing, you looked, wonderful! Really, you did great!"  
>"Really?" her face went bright pink.<br>"You really did." His smile, so bright and honest. She had to smile back.  
>"Mynara, how old are you?"<br>"Huh?" She blinked.  
>"I want to know how old you are before I, uh, anything happens."<br>"Like what?"  
>"How old are you, and I'll tell you if you're old enough."<br>"I am... uh, sixteen, why?" What was he thinking? Asking her to get a drink? Ha ha, no thank you.  
>"Oh, good. I'm twenty."<br>"Twenty?" She asked in disbelief. Only four years or so away from her own age.  
>"Yeah."<br>"You haven't answered my other question, like what happens?"  
>"Like I fall in love with you and get your father angry at me?" He suggested.<br>"Fall, in love with me?"  
>"Yeah, wouldn't want you to be too young for me, or to old, for that matter. I thought you were nineteen."<br>"Most people do, maybe I am." She smiles and splashes him. "Either way, TAG!"  
>"I am going to get you!" He yells, and goes after her.<p>Half an hour later, Mynara and Sephiroth pull themselves out of the water and towel themselves off.<br>"Do you want to get a bite to eat?"  
>"Sure, what's there to eat here?"<br>"Uh, well, there's either a cafeteria full of disgusting crap food, or there's a few restaurants near the plantation, I could drive us out there, what do you say?"  
>"Not sure, try the cafeteria?" She liked him, a lot, but she still didn't quite trust him.<br>"Okay, let's see what they have." He didn't seem offended at all.

"Mush, goop and blargh sandwich with glop on the side, my favorite," Mynara wrinkled her nose at the trays of food, Sephiroth laughed behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder and steering her forward.  
>"Take a look at the plates there, at least they look decent."<br>He was right, she had just been in the mood to make fun of something.  
>"Sure, okay." She peered at the trays of food on the other side of the glass. "Ooh, look! They have salmon! Yum!" She jumped a bit. "I love salmon."<br>"Really? So do I." He pulled out a wallet of black leather, and pulled from it a red and black card, with the name Sephiroth Yale.  
>Yale, hm.<br>"Yeah, the salmon plate, two please? Oh, uh, do you like cheese?"  
>"No, not really."<br>"Fruit?"  
>"Yes!"<br>"The fruit bowl, instead. Yeah, no, on both, yeah, thanks, here." He hands his card to the woman behind the counter. She scans it and hands it back, pushing the trays across the counter, and he picked op the card.  
>"Thanks, I'll pay you back, I promise." Mynara took the tray he offered her.<br>"My treat, but you should bring your own money tomorrow."  
>"Tomorrow?"<br>"Don't you want to hang out tomorrow too?" He looked over at her, looking confused.  
>"Oh, sure, just, I just realized something. I'm only here for a week, today is my first day, we're leaving Saturday evening." She looked down. "Oh well."<br>"Oh no, let's get to know each other as well as we can before you go, then we can get together later. You have to meet me tomorrow, okay?"  
>"Okay. Sounds good." She laughed, he was so nice, so good at making her laugh. How could she have not liked him? He was so beautiful, sweet, nice, funny, and, well, gorgeous.<p>

"Meet me tomorrow, at about seven, just outside the major conference room, okay?"  
>"Okay, my father will bet there, I'll meet you after he's in there. Bye!"<br>"It was a lot of fun meeting you, have a nice night!"  
>"Thank you, you too!" Mynara waved and turned around. She started running across the grounds towards the apartment Cloud had been given for the week. She had a room next to his, but she wanted to see him before bed, he had asked her too anyway.<br>"Mynara! How have you been? How was your day?"  
>"I missed you, but I met a few new friends."<br>"Oh, like who?"  
>"This girl named Selphi and her friend Kailey. They were really nice to me."<br>"Oh good. Kailey's a good girl, I like her. Selhpi is also a nice person, but watch out, don't make her mad."  
>He laughed, she laughed, but for some reason, she didn't want to tell him about Sephiroth, might not be the best idea.<br>"You going to bed, Mynara?"  
>"Mhm, night, Cloud."<br>"Night."  
>The door closed, and she smiled as the cold night air washed over her face.<br>This was going to be a good week. 


	8. Loss of importance

Cloud spent his days either sleeping, or in meetings, he didn't seem to happy about it, but it was how it was.  
>Mynara, spent her week with her new boyfriend, Sephiroth. Tall, pale, white hair like her own, he made her feel special, wanted. He was protective but he let her do more than Cloud would, he was less clingy, and she enjoyed his company EMENSLY.<br>She and Selphie rarely talked, but Kailey was close to her in many ways.  
>About halfway through the week, though, Selphie and Kailey were sent off on some mission, and Mynara was left alone with Sephiroth.<p>"Mynara, you awake yet?" came the soft sound of his voice on the window sill, his light tap-tap-tapping causing her to jump, but when she realized who it was, she smiled.<br>"Yeah, I am." She came over and opened wide the window to let both him and the fresh air into her little apartment room.  
>"Hey, how are you?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist and holding her close to himself.<br>"I am fantastic, now. And you?"  
>"Every time I see you, I get better." He planted a kiss on her head, stroking her chin and moving side-to-side in time to his breaths. She closed her eyes and focused on his warmth.<br>"Are you going to be with me today? Or do you have any missions?" She asked.  
>"I am free all this week, and the next month, too. I am free to go anywhere I want. And that is with you, I swear.<br>"Yay," she snuggled close to him, inhaling his scent, He smelled of, lavender, for some reason. Lavender and vanilla, and a touch of gunpowder. It was a pleasant smell, made her smile every time.  
>"I love you, Mynara." He turned her around to face himself, and put a hand on her chin. "I really, truly do. I love you."<br>"Where did that come from?"  
>"I have no idea, but I know it's true.<br>"I love you too, Sephiroth." She looked up at him, wondering what it would be like for him to kiss her. She had know him for seven days, and she cared for him now, almost as much as her adoptive parents.  
>And then he did kiss her, pressing his lips to hers, lightly, pulling her closer to himself.<br>"Mm, Mynara," he whispered, running his hand down her arm to her waist, holding her.  
>She groaned, throwing her arms around his shoulders. She felt wonderful, her head spinning and her feet leaving the ground as he picked her up to reach himself, without leaning.<br>She could feel his hand at her hip playing around with his fingers lightly moving over her skin, making her shudder in pleasure, moaning and begging for more.  
>When his hand started to wonder around to the front, she gasped, as he slipped his hand down her pants and began to touch her.<br>She pulled away.  
>"What are you DOING?" she demanded, gasping and trying to get her breath back.<br>"Trying to love you!" he defended himself. "Why? Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to do that?"  
>"Not without a little warning and my permission, no!" She struggled to get her breath back, and found herself on her knees. Sephiroth stood before her and stared, trying to apologize silently. His eyes were large and his pain apparent. He had hurt her, how was he going to live with himself?<br>After a few seconds, which seemed like hours, he took a step back, and turned to leave.  
>"No," she reached out to him, trying to hold him with her. He paused. "Come back." He did, turning around and coming back to her, kneeling before her on the ground.<br>She slapped him across the face, as hard as she could. "THAT, is for NOT asking my permission, first." She told him, He was shocked. "And this," she pulled him to her and pushed her lips against his once more. "Is my permission."  
>He got over his confusion quickly, and then he took control, kissing her as much as he could, slipping her pants down and having her moan at every move, caressing her and touching her, having his way, and she enjoyed it all, though it hurt.<br>It hurt, she was a virgin, but not after that day. He picked her up and carried her to her bed, and had her in plain daylight, the tow of them with he windows closed and no way of any sound leaving the confines of the room. And there were sounds to be heard, just not outside.

Her life lost importance after that day, nothing meant more to her than HIM. And when Cloud took her home again, HE climbed in through her window and she loved him just as much. For three months, they were together, loving and holding, touching and kissing, she wanted nothing more.  
>Until the day he took her with him, away.<br>Away, to get a job, with him, as a SOLDIER. And she was curious, but not that interested.  
>That was when things went horribly wrong.<p>

He wanted to take her with him, to be a soldier, but She did view herself as cut out for fighting so much. She liked the occasional spat here and there (She always won, no matter who it was with) but she definitely did not want into a real fight. She did't want to go.  
>"Sephiroth, please, why can't I stay here?"<br>"I told you, I want to take you with me on missions. If you're in my squad then I can bring you with me wherever I go and we won't have to be apart for long periods of time. Come on Mynara, please?"  
>"No, I don't like fighting. I wanna stay here in sector eight." She looked up at him pleadingly.<br>He stared down at her and thought for a bit. Finally, he let go her arm and turned away. "Okay, fine. You can stay. But I'm still going. I have a mission to go on, and if I'm not taking you then I still have to go." He turned around and put a hand on her pale cheek. "I have to go. If you're not coming, then I might not see you again for a long time. I love you." He kissed her gently and quickly, and then walked away, leaving her on the street outside Cloud and Arith's house.  
>"Sephiroth..." She had to see his eyes, his piercing blue-green eyes again, they were so beautiful. He turned and looked over his shoulder. "I love you too..."<br>His smile was warm, and he looked almost disappointed, but she stuck to her decision, she didn't want anything to do with the soldiers in action, let alone be one.

She walked inside, her eyes brimming with tears and went straight to Cloud, who had just walked in with a giant grin. "Hey, kiddo, how you doing this morning, huh? Hey what were you doing outside, you look... are you okay?" he put a hand on her shoulder, gently as she stood there. She only shook her head.  
>She took a step forward, burrowing her face in his chest, inhaling his scent and it made her feel better, Cloud smelled good, like old memories, but she wasn't quite sure which ones. It always calmed her.<br>After a while, she looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you." and she walked past him and upstairs to her room.

The two kept in contact through letters for about two months, trying their hardest to stay close to each other. Mynara looked forward to every time the mailman brought a letter from a strange and foreign place with a letter for her. It excited her and she got so happy. Once a week, every week for about five weeks, and then they slowed to one every other, and then every three.  
>Two and a half months, eight letters, and half of them had some mention of "Mother" or something. He was starting to sound strange, obsessed, crazed, even. What was wrong?<br>What was wrong with him?

They eventually stopped, and she stopped caring. Who needed a man who didn't care? 


	9. Axel

"Haha! That was awesome!" Myst yelled after Mynara, as they ran off into the forest.  
>"I know, right? We have to kidnap someone more often!"<br>"Oh please, take me back and let's do it over! This is so exciting!" She huffed, her boy's clothes didn't look normal on her.  
>She had dressed as a merchant boy while Mynara had gotten her out of Thebes. She was tired of being such a highly appreciated one in the many in her city.<br>As they slowed down on the road, miles away and completely out of ear-shot of any left-over searchers, she smiled at Mynara and said "Thanks, you had no idea how hard it was to be in my place."  
>"Oh I doubt it, I've never been a princess before."<br>"Hahaha, very funny." Myst gasped for breath and giggled again. "Really, again Mynara, thank you, so much."  
>"You are very welcome. Now, we have to find a place to stay for a while, let's go find a place. Do you know where the nearest town is?"<br>"Uh, the nearest? It's in the other direction, Athens, but the next nearest is I think Corinth on the other side of the connection. I'm not sure."  
>"Other side? About how far?"<br>"A few days travel on foot, three on horse-back."  
>"Wow, okay then, let's head off then." Mynara smiled and stood up, offering to go further.<br>"No, I'm too tired, couldn't we just stay here a minute and-"  
>"Oi! Boss! Over here! I think I heard someone!"<br>The two girls took off into the trees, running for their lives and also, partially, for fun.

"It's been three days, constantly moving along the coast-line, don't you think we would have reached something by now?"  
>"In fact we have, I think this is Megara" Mynara looked around at the amazing view of the city. "Isn't it just beautiful?"<br>"It's so small." Myst looked around at it un-trustingly from the hill they stood upon. "Some of them might know me," she said quietly.  
>"It's okay. Let's find a place to stay and then we'll worry." Mynara smiled and patted her shoulder.<br>"Can we find a place in the forest? I don't like the city too much. I've lived in a city all my life it's boring."  
>"Sure, if you want to. Fine either way with me." Mynara followed Myst into the forest as they looked around.<p>

They found a rather large hot-springs-like location maybe three hours from the city, underground, plenty of steam and hot mineral-full water and air, lots of steam. They set their packs in a pocket in the rock and sat down to decide what to do.  
>"Why don't, you take a bath, and then you go find something to eat in town while I take a bath and join you when I'm done?" Mynara suggested.<br>'Works for me, I guess. Myst agreed and went in to wash up. As she did, Mynara explored the surrounding area for fun things to do, find or eat. She found not much, but she did find a clear drinking stream. She figured she better boil it but still.  
>She found a tin pot in her bag and lit a small fire under it, filling it with water and waiting until it boiled and then cooled to take a drink.<br>At that point, Myst was clean and ready to go to town.  
>Myst left her and went off in the direction of Megara, while Mynara went and took her own bath.<br>The cave was built a little like a one-story house, really. The front area, a medium sized cave that was almost tall enough to stand in, and tall enough sit up easily. There was a small opening in the back of the cave, where steam poured out, keeping the whole place warm. Through the hole was another room, this one HUGE with a big river of steaming water running through it. It came from one end in a large whole, running down into a large pool-like area where the water slowed down emensly and seemed like a natural hot tub. From there, the water ran through a rather large river and into a big whole in the wall through which the water escaped.  
>Under the entrance of the water, was a small alcove about the size of a tall man and three times as wide, Easy in and out of this place. A fair amount of water ran through it like a real shower. Perfect. Mynara headed for there.<br>It felt so good, Mynara stayed for a good long while.

Axel made his way through the heavy forest, making his way towards the heat. The fire within his body ached for it, he was too cold.  
>Maybe he shouldn't have come to this world, too cold, especially in the winter, and spring, which was now.<br>"Dammit, why did Zexion need that book NOW? Couldn't he have needed it this summer? Or last summer for that matter. Geeze, it's too cold." He muttered to himself a long stream of mutterings as he fumbled through brush and wet branches.  
>Something snapped.<br>Axel whipped around, his Chakrams appearing in his hands as she scanned the forest behind him. Nothing, just like last time. 'Relax, get a grip.' He told himself.  
>He walked into the clearing backwards, almost tripping over a root that seemed to stick out too much... and moved just a little more just before Axel got there. He stumbled over onto his ass, his eyes wide and incredulous. In the wind you could hear the sprites laughing at him.<br>"Cursed little buggers..." he whispered. "Damn, I'm picking up a lot of vocab from Luxord lately... oh well." He rubbed his head getting up, and then rubbed his now sore ass. He looked around the clearing, finding nothing visible aside from the steam.  
>He crept closer to the warmth inside the cave, bending down and sticking his head in. "Better..." he mumbled. Wanting to explore a little, he went farther back and stuck his head through the crack in the wall. Through the steam he saw movement.<br>He froze again, and squinted, just barely making out the shape of a person.  
>"Hello?" He called out curiously.<br>"Ack! Don't you have any senses? I'm taking a shower, get OUT!"  
>Axel was quite surprised, raising an eyebrow and pulling out of the larger hall. "Sorry! Didn't mean to intrude. Should I stay out here until you come out?" He called.<br>"Sure, why not? Just don't come in."  
>They sounded slightly masculine, but there was a definite tone of feminine chagrin in there. He smirked. "Oops, probably scared her."<p>

The young woman walked out into the front cavern with all her clothes. She wore a white hunting outfit, showed off most of her skin and no shoes. She had what looked like tribal markings or patterns of tattoos all over her white body.  
>Axel felt his eyes scrunch up in interest and his pants get a little tighter.<br>"What are you here for?" She asked.  
>"I'm here to get a book for a friend. I think it's in Mykenae but I'm not sure." He answered her honestly enough.<br>She glared at him coldly, and then satisfied, picked up a bag. "I'm heading to Megara, you're welcome to come with, someone there can point you in the right direction from there." She shouldered her bag and picked up another. Heading out the front she didn't even turn her head to make sure he was there.  
>He followed silently behind her the whole three hours.<p>

"Mynara? Who is this guy?" Myst was curious and distrustful, she didn't like the man with long spiky bright red hair. He was interesting but strange and almost evil seeming to her. "Are you sure bringing him here was okay?"  
>"He was already at the camp site, might as well help him get to Mykenae. He needs a book there and then he's gone. Hopefully he'll get lost here in the crowd and get directions from someone else to get where he's going. But honestly, I think he's nicer than you might think."<br>"He's creepy and super tall and though he's attractive, I don't trust attractive men. Why, do you like him or something?"  
>"No. I told you I'm still getting over my last man, I don't need another one yet. And certainly not one that came off as a pervert the first time I met him."<br>"Ladies? Could you point me in the direction of Thebes?" A low, seductive voice crawled up from behind the bickering girls.  
>Myst shivered.<br>"Axel," Mynara turned around and glared at him. "What do you want?"  
>"I want to break up your fight. Is it about me?"<br>"As a matter of fact, yes. Now go away and fine that book for your friend." Mynara turned away and walked across the market square full of people running in circles and dancing. Myst kept up but only barely, having to speed up to keep up with her long gait.

The two young women were sitting in the cave, going through their food when Mynara heard something outside. Immediately, she was outside and had her long thin knife against the intruder's throat.  
>"I should slit your throat where you stand." she snarled. "Why did you follow us again?"<br>The redhead laughed, stopping abruptly when the cold metal touched his exposed skin. "I'm sorry if I scared you, looks like I did. Was there some sort of secret knock I missed?"  
>Mynara only glared at him.<br>"Ahh, fine. I followed you because I found you interesting. You two are wandering all alone it's best you have someone older to watch you. How old are you two anyways, fifteen?"  
>"I'm old enough, though she may not be, we're fine." The cold metal seemed worse against his naturally warm skin. "But you are unwanted and still around. Tell me why."<br>"You're fascinating, I want to watch you." he said simply. "Is there something wrong with that?"  
>She stared at him silently for a bit, and then pressed the cold a slight bit more to his throat before pulling it away and sheathing it. "Fine, you may stay. But only until you have that book or whatever it was you needed in town." She slipped back into the warm cave and sat down on her pack.<br>Axel pulled himself into the cave and sat, earning a confused and disgusted look from Myst but ignoring her. He sat on the ground and stared at the tiny flame in the center of the room.  
>He shifted, and Myst scooted away, but he only pulled out a backpack. From it he pulled a full size sleeping bag that seemed very out of place in this world, and then pulled out a thick animal pelt. He offered it to no one in particular, Mynara took it and laid it on the floor, insisting that Myst lay on it.<br>Myst looked at it distrustfully, but eventually lay and slept on it. Axel fell asleep too. 


	10. Cocoon

Chapter 9 - Cocoon -

Mynara looked around the clearing, searching for anything out of place, before going in and waking the younger girl. "Myst, it's morning, wake up."  
>The brunette stretched, yawning and blinking, rubbing away the sleep from her heavy lids. "Sleeping in a cave, much less fun than it sounds when told by merchants." She mumbled. She sat up and pulled her arm above her head before remembering the redhead across the floor. She hissed, stiffening and ran out into he bright morning light. "Damnit! Why is he still here?"<br>"I said he could stay until he had the books he needed, really, it's fine. I watched him all night, he means us no harm." Mynara tried to calm her friend, holding her hands and looking her in the eyes. "He's sticking around for a while, doesn't mean you have to like it, heck I don't. But he had a point last night, he's older than both of us and probably a lot more experienced in the ways of fighting and perhaps protection."  
>"Just as long as we don't let slip who I am, fine. I don't want him dragging me back to that gods-awful palace." she shuddered.<br>"I promise you, even if he tried I wouldn't let him." Mynara squeezed her hands, hugging her. "Come on, let's pack and go."

"So what exactly was it you were looking for?" Mynara questioned him as the three of them walked along the path.  
>"Uh," Axel pulled out the list given to him by number six and looked it over. "Naughtingale's studies and notes on scarlets; Hurmnuster's- Harmunister's- something like that's jibble studdies, Reinhart's compenduim, science and studies mostly." He had much trouble pronouncing the names.<br>"Give me that," Mynara swept the slip of paper from his fingers and looked it over. "These are studies on heartless, why is your friend studying heartless?"  
>"Heartless?" Myst froze, staring blankly ahead and then turning towards Axel. "Why would anyone even KNOWING someone who is studying heartless be a good guy?"<br>"Good question," Axel found the cold blade against his neck again. "Why don't you answer that?"  
>"You ever heard of a nobody?" Axel choked, chuckling slightly. "We have some trouble with them around our 'club' for lack of better explanation. There's me and twelve others, actually thirteen now, but we have a bit of a heartless problem at our base. The science nerds, the doc and the one that gave me that slip, are trying to get rid of the problem." True enough, he thought.<br>Mynara glared at him. "Fine." the knife disappeared, slipping with a cold 'shwip' sound into the leather pouch at her waist.  
>They continued in silence.<p>

"This is Mykenae, can you find those books here?"  
>"Let's see," Mynara followed the tall man into the bookstore, Myst following closely after.<br>Axel set the slip of paper down on the counter and motioned a man over to them. "Do you have these in stock?" He asked.  
>The man looked them over. "All but one, we don't have the Reinhart's anymore, someone came in and bought the last copy about a year ago, haven't found another since. You might find one in cocoon, though."<br>"That's all the way in, damn, not another corridor," he mumbled. "Okay then, give me the ones you do have."  
>"Right, sir." The older mad walked off and disappeared into another room behind a column. Mynara watched him lumber about and raised an eyebrow as he came back with a pile of four, heavy-looking books. "Ugh, here you go." He named each one, making a note on a piece of parchment, and then a quick math problem. "Four-humdred munny, sir. These are high-quality and very old books and scrolls here."<br>Axel grinned and handed over the munny in a pouch, waiting patiently while the man counted his payment. "Thanks for the books," Axel said, picking up the heavy pile without effort and walking away.  
>"Is that all?" Myst asked untrustingly.<br>"Nope, one more to get in Cocoon and then I'm set to go home. In the meantime, could you wait a few minutes while I send these back?" He walked off behind the building.  
>"Huh? Send them back where?"<br>"I don't know," Mynara shrugged. "But I don't think he's using the postal service."

"How are you getting to Cocoon?" Mynara asked, tugging on Axel's cloak.  
>"By a portal, how else?" Axel smiled, swatting her hand away.<br>"I don't know, that's why I asked." Mynara laughed, running a bit off and throwing her feet into the air, swinging her head up and running back towards them on her hands. "This is more fun than I thought it would be! Thanks, Axel!"  
>"No problem." He laughed too, flinging out a hand to catch The girls foot. Next he took Myst's hand and swung his arms back and forth.<br>Myst giggled, her face getting pink as she ran with them.  
>"This should be about right," Axel said, stopping. He held out a hand. "Should I open the corridor? now?"<br>"Sure!" Mynara stood beside him, watching.  
>"Stay close to me," he warned and then extended his arm a little further. A dark gaping hole formed before them, bits of black creating patterns around the edges like the frame of a mirror. "Let's go."<p>

The other end was a bright and beautiful town just half a mile away, the tall buildings and roads were amazing and Myst giggled in excitement and awe.  
>"He must be very powerful to open a portal like that," she whispered to Mynara.<br>"Yeah, no kidding. I can't open a portal across a river yet, let alone across worlds, wow!"  
>"Now, where did you girls say you were going?"<br>"I don't know, anywhere!" Myst giggled, running a few feet away and spinning in circles.  
>"She needs new clothes, her robes won't do well in a world like this, it's too modern." She looked down at her own garb. "And I could use a new outfit myself. Maybe a few t-shirts and a pair of jeans..."<br>"Well, I know just where to look for that book, and I have a few friends in this town so, why don't we meet up somewhere in say, an hour or so?" He grinned, rubbing the back of his head.  
>"Sure, sounds good." Mynara nodded.<br>"Okay then, get yourselves some new clothes while I go get what I came for. Oh, and take this I won't need it." He took a small handful of munny from a large pouch on his back. He slipped it into his pocket and handed the rest to Mynara. "The boss won't know it's missing, besides I don't need much myself."  
>"Thanks, I won't use too much, only what we need."<br>"Perfect, so where do we meet, here?" Mynara nodded. "Okay, we meet back here in an hour, right now it's" he looked up, shielding his eyes and examining the big clock on the tower in the center of the city. "Two so we meet back at three or so. How does that sound?"  
>"Perfect, see you later!"<br>They parted ways, both girls running for a clothes shop and the man for a book store. 


	11. The Girls

The two girls walked out of the store and looked up to the clock tower nearby. Fifteen minutes.  
>"I really think you should have gotten that shirt, Mynara! Really, black and white, it's so monotonous!" Myst giggled, poking her friend in the side.<br>"But I'm not one for anything else, really." She looked down at her simple new outfit. White t-shirt, white jeans, again, no shoes. "I like to stay simple."  
>"But you don't even have any patterns or pictures on your clothes!"<br>"That would have been overkill, seeing the pictures on my skin."  
>"I guess you're right, but it's still fun to add a little change to your everyday!"<br>"This IS a change, haven't you been paying attention? I don't generally like anything other than my thin cotton hunting gear." Both laughed, turning a corner and poking at each other. "So where's that spot he told us to meet him at?"  
>"Uh, I think it's this way. I forgot, running towards the sound of people." Mynara giggled.<br>"Come on, it's a shortcut." Myst pulled Mynara down a tiny dark ally, running towards the bright street on the other side.  
>"Stop." Mynara froze, Myst following suit seconds later.<br>Suddenly, someone jumped down from the roof and landed in front of them, hands on her hips and an eyebrow held high. Three other girls jumped down around her, and two others poked their heads out from above them.  
>"Who are you?" Mynara asked, pulling Myst closer and behind herself.<br>"The name's Alex, I run this city, in a manner of speaking. Who are you?"  
>Myst looked around, wondering at the girls surrounding them, but Mynara kept her focus on the first.<br>"My name is of no concern, I don't wish any harm to your people or your city. Why have you surrounded us?"  
>"You know we surround you even before you're told, interesting." She picked at a stray black hair, pushing it back behind her ear and replacing her hand on her hip. "We want to know why you're here."<br>"In Cocoon or the ally?"  
>"The ally."<br>"It's a shortcut to where we're going. At least that's what I'm told. Is there some rule, 'don't go back here'?"  
>"As a matter of fact, no, but it IS the one place people don't tend to go. Where are you going?"<br>"To the borders of town, and then probably back to my world. I'm not sure about her." Mynara shrugged towards the girl behind her.  
>"Well, isn't that nice?" Alex chuckled. "So where is your world?"<br>"I'm not sure, but I live in sector eight." Mynara kept her face flat and emotionless. It made Myst edgy.  
>"Well, fine then. I'm Alex, this is Sam, Max and Cat, those two up there are Fire and Eli. If one of you needs a place to stay, we'd be happy to take you. Here." She handed Mynara a slip of paper. "This is our bunk, come find us if you need us."<br>"But boss, weren't you mad?" The one named Max asked quietly.  
>"Nah, I like her style, and this girl is just lonely as you were." Alex placed a gentle hand on the girls cheek. "It's okay." The other relaxed.<br>"If we need to, we might show up." Mynara promised. "But I might not, I have a home, and people depending on my return."  
>"That's fine, if nothing more come by for a social visit sometime." Alex grinned.<br>Mynara nodded, loosening up a little. "That sounds nice, but we have somewhere to be soon."  
>"Fine with me," The young woman stood back, throwing her long black hair over her shoulder and running a few fingers through it. The others dropped their weapons, some running off while two stayed. One above and the girl named Max. Mynara smiled, and offered a hand. Alex took it and they shook. At their touch, Max stiffened, but relaxed when she was satisfied that Mynara didn't mean any harm.<br>"Well, sorry for keeping you, have a nice day and I hope to see you sometime in the future."  
>"Thank you, and good luck with your girls."<br>"Could I ask your name again, perhaps?"  
>"Mynara."<br>Bother nodded, and the silently, Myst and Mynara left, heading for the cliff outside town.

"Well, before I leave you two for good, why don't I buy you lunch? You must be hungry."  
>"Very." Myst laughed, "Here, Mynara give him the bag back. We didn't spend much, she didn't trust me with it."<br>"She would have spent us all broke." Mynara smiled, handing the bag back. It was almost as full as it had been. "I'm not a spender myself."  
>"Cool, come on."<p>

As they walked out of the sandwich shop, Axel sighed. "Well girls, it's been fun! But I have to go back and give the last book to my friend." He smiled, patting Mynara on the shoulder. "Bye!"  
>"Bye, Axel." Mynara grinned again, hugging him gently, as Myst threw her arms around his waist and laughed.<br>"Where are you two off to?"  
>"I'm off to my father's world, not sure about Myst."<br>"I want to go back to the girls, they seem like the place for me." Myst smiled and held out her hand. "Can I have the address?"  
>Mynara held out the paper. "Here, I won't need it, good luck."<br>Myst ran off across the square and behind a building.  
>"Well, see you later?"<br>"Yeah, I guess so."  
>"Tell me," Axel asked. "What is your homeworld?"<br>"I don't know, but I live with my father in sector eight, why?"  
>"Curious, I'd like to tell a friend who I've met while away."<br>"Cool, then I guess, bye." Mynara walked away, heading in the direction of the trains she had seen earlier.  
>"Bye, Myn!" <p>


	12. We meet again

"Mynara, breakfast is ready!" Aerith called up the stairs. "Get down here!"  
>Mynara rolled over in her big fluffy bed and groaned. "Tired..." she muttered.<br>"Mynara! Wake up!" The brunette yelled again, setting down the dish to get something from the oven: a big tray of hot potatoes for mashing.  
>Finally, Mynara rolled over and onto the floor, hitting with a loud 'THUD' and squealing at the cold. "I'M UP! I'M UP!" she yelled, jumping for the ceiling and shivering up and down. "I'M UP!" She reached for the dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt and a pair of white jeans. Throwing them on, she scrambled for the door and made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. Once there, she promptly sat down at the table, just as Aerith was setting down the mash. "Mmm! This looks good!"<br>"It should, took me a while." The woman grinned, patting Mynara's head with affection and sighing. "Now where's your father?"  
>"Out back, he's training." Mynara shoveled the food into her mouth hungrily.<br>"Again? Is anyone with him today?"  
>"Nah, just Reno." She got up, one last bite and then walked away, heading for the front door and shouldering her backpack. "Later Aerith!"<br>"Bye," the door swung closed and the woman went to the window. She sighed as she watched her man fighting out there, beating his friend's ass, but fighting all the same, "He's been fighting too much lately," she said quietly.

Mynara hopped off her friend's bike and ran full out towards the building, not wanting to be late again.  
>Ever since she ran off and went to Greece Aerith had been all over her to go to school. At first she'd been hesitant, but after a while she found a few friends.<br>It had only been two months back, and already she had disappeared three times for a night or two. But late she wouldn't hear of, a skip wasn't big, but late was. So far, no one could figure out the difference was for her.  
>"Mynara! It's about time you got here! Miss Hembold still hasn't come in yet, you got lucky!" Maria whispered.<br>"Great, at least no more detention." she laughed, quietly but still, it made everyone in the room smile.  
>"You look great! Where'd you get that top?"<br>"Uh, I don't know, I wasn't paying attention when Yuffie towed me into the mall."  
>Her friend Josie grinned. "Well I for one, ALWAYS remember where I got my clothes, so I can give wrong directions to anyone wanting to copy me."<br>"And so few don't try," Maria giggled.  
>Mynara smiled again, but decided that clothes still weren't that interesting. Instead, she focused on the window, gazing at the trees and waiting for the teacher to come in.<br>Suddenly, she saw something strange: a bright red spiky head, on a roof across the street. "What?" She mumbled.  
>"-Oh my gosh, you should have SEEN him, he was standing on the street against a tree, oh so hot! His hair, so freaking red, and it looked like a middle finger to gravity, just wow! How much hair-gel could a person use?" Tina, on the other side of the room. She was talking to a bunch of her friends, giggling and fussing.<br>"Did you see his face?" Mynara asked her, looking at Tina. "Were there little diamond tattoos under his eyes?"  
>"Yeah, how, how did you know that? Do you know him?"<br>"Axel," Mynara breathed in relief.  
>"You DO know him? Oh wow, how cool? Why is he here?"<br>"I have absolutely no clue, I'll ask him." She glanced at the clock, fifteen minutes until class stared. Then she went to the window and looked out again. He was still there, his spiky red hair bouncing gently in the breeze. She pulled the window open far enough to stick her torso out and waved at him. He waved back. She motioned to him to come closer.  
>She watched the small black hole open, and then disappear, reappearing near the window out of sight behind a tree. He came over at a swagger, grinning his crazy grin. "Hey there, sweet-cheeks, how's it going?"<br>"My cheeks are not sweet!" She laughed.  
>"Ah, but my fair princess, on the window you do sit, whilst I stand here below and call up my love, oh how I wish to speak it where I can hold you in my arms, whilst placing soft kisses on your skin." He grinned.<br>"You're getting slapped later for that."  
>"I guess I deserve it, I just wanted to try it out. Zexion's always reading that fluffy stuff, I wanted to see how it worked in real life?"<br>"Zexion? Who's that?"  
>"Oh, the one I got the books for."<br>"Ah, him." By this point, a bunch of chicks at the other window were giggling like crazy. They were pointing out his hair, and his strange cloak, the way he talked and how he and Mynara seemed to know each other so well.  
>"Well, the flattering poetry doesn't sound right coming from your grinning face, you look more like the type to get turned on by long words, but never use them yourself. Especially never understanding them, even if they're coming from your own mouth."<br>"What, you prefer something more along the lines of: 'Me Axel, you Myn.' sort of thing?"  
>The other girls squealed. Mynara was impressed with his ability to ignore them. "Perhaps."<br>He picked something up, she saw it. "You're flattered?"  
>Damn. "Kind of." They both laughed as the school bell went off. "That my queue to scram, bye."<br>"Meet me at that little coffee house around the corner when you can. My treat, and we can talk."  
>"You, talk... this sounds like something interesting." Mynara laughed. "I'll be there in four hours or so, bye!"<br>"Bye." Axel grinned, and walked away, this time across the green towards the opposite street. Mynara came back through the window and shut it, returning to her seat and pulling out everything needed for the day's lesson. 


	13. The Cafe

She walked into the tiny corner cafe, a simple young girl; who happened to have pale white skin, white hair, and be covered in black tribal tattoos.  
>She received a few strange looks, but she was sued to it. For as long as she remembered, she had had the tattoos, she didn't remember anything else. The fact that she was only around sixteen was the strange part to her. She remembered nothing before about fifteen.<br>But none of this mattered at the moment, because she was on her way to meet a friend: a tall redheaded pyromaniac who wanted to tell her something important.  
>"Myn, dear, care to tell me why fifteen or more other kids are following you at the moment?"<br>"They're not mine, Axel, and I'm not 'dear' to anyone but my parents. You should know that." She shoved a punch into his stomach, barely phasing him as she walked by. "Anyways, it's lunch and I have a free hour, you wanted to talk to me?"  
>"Yeah, that I did, but I'd like to do so in private?"<br>"Unless you have an apartment nearby, I don't see how." She glared at him.  
>"Fine, fine, I see how it is." he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "You don't trust me.<br>"That's not it, though I don't yet. It's hard top find somewhere private during lunch. So unless you're kidnapping me, then privacy is out of the question. Try again after school, and for now talk chit-chat?"  
>"Hmm..." He rubbed his chin,k thinking as he pulled a chair out for her across from him at the tiny table. "Kidnap..."<br>"Axel," she warned.  
>"Can I help you two today?" a young woman about twenty asked, her long hair pulled back into a brown ponytail behind her big green eyes. They were nothing like his, though.<br>"Ah, can I get a white chocolate mocha, and a cupcake?" Mynara asked.  
>"Plain hot coffee, three sugars. And can you add some cinnamon?"<br>"Sure," she said smiling. "I'll be right back."  
>The redhead watched the white-haired one, contemplating her tattoos and thinking where to start. She was patient enough to ignore the silence and instead count the many people around the cafe that were watching them.<br>"How would you like to come to my place, meet my coworkers, eh?" He rubbed at the back of his head, a motion hat she had yet to pick up that it meant he was nervous of feeling awkward.  
>She stared. After a while, she raised one delicate eyebrow and snorted quietly. "You're not serious."<br>"I'm entirely serious, and that's serious in itself." he laughed, pulling his eyelid down and sticking out his tongue. "As you should have gathered so far."  
>She was silent for a bit, mulling over his offer. "I'll call mom." she said. She pulled out a small black cell phone and hit the "2" button. It began to ring.<br>"Hello?"  
>"Hi, mom, it's me."<br>"Hi, Mynara. What do you need?"  
>"Can I go visit a friend for tonight? She's having a bit of a party and I'd love to go."<br>The redhead raised his brow, smirking evilly. She ignored him beautifully.  
>"Oh course, honey. It's a Friday, after all. If you want to, you can stay the weekend too."<br>"Thanks mom, I'll be back Monday after school." She shut the phone, turning back to the man across the table. "I can't tell her everything."  
>He grinned, and began to laugh. She smiled eventually too.<br>"So I'll be spending the weekend with you, Mynara?"  
>"Nope, I'm staying with Maria."<br>He raised an eyebrow again.  
>"Kidding." she laughed, and stood up. "I'm off, see you here after school?"<br>"Sounds good," he laughed. "I'll wait." 


	14. Papa?

"Papa?" I call, a small girl barely more than fourteen. I was young, and small for my age. Not to mention how innocent I was, in many ways.  
>"Hmm?" He glances at me, not seeing me, only a reflex reaction to being called.<br>"Momma says I look beautiful, is she right?" I have to get him to look at me. I was only going to this stupid ball because I was a spoiled only child, and a princess to boot. Yeah, a boot, up my behind. It was a pain yo be me, too much attention or too little.  
>He turns to look at me, finally, and his eyes light up. He grins, his mouth widening like another radiant sun in the sky. Like we needed more than two.<br>"My darling, you look wonderful!" He stands up, setting the large book down on the table beside him, and swings me up into the air, my many skirts, flying with me. I giggle, it is fun. I laugh, and he laughs too, with me, not at me, like Aaron. He thinks of me as his little playmate and there for his entertainment. Sure I love him, but he only tells me he does. I doubt he can love anyone. He certainly doesn't love his wife.  
>That was part of why I didn't want to go through with the ball. I was nearing sixteen, two years from now, and I needed a husband. Or at least a betrothed. But unlike so many girls in the kitchens, I did not want to me wed. I didn't want to end up getting married to some filthy rich man and having lots of babies. I did not want a life of being told what to do by men, one man, my man.<br>"He he!" I giggle, as my father sets me down and the ground. His smile is still wide. I look up at him, and try to smile as best I can.  
>His face, his radiant face, is almost out now, the light and joy fading quickly into darkness and pain.<br>"Papa?" I ask, my voice quivering with the equal pain hidden behind my own mask, that I kept in place much better than he ever could. "What is wrong?"  
>"Nothing, my darling," he turns from me, turns his back. On me. That was the very first sign I had that something was about to happen. Something big. And perhaps life-changing. "nothing at all..."<br>Bull.  
>But it was not like I could ask him flat out, I was a girl, a young girl at that. I was supposed to mind my own business. Asking questions was not supposed to be in my nature. I was not supposed to know anything more than my tutors taught me; and all they taught, was how to shut your mouth and keep your pain to yourself.<br>I had learned a lot of things at court, and keeping your mouth shut until you were alone was the most major. I never liked it, but there it was.  
>I ha memorized the equivalent to a handbook on the subject. "The unwritten, unspoken laws of court life." I could recite them by memory like a song I had been taught, or a limerick the fool told me once, that I liked. It was almost like that. Only much, much more dangerous.<br>So I let him be, just let it go, and left it at that.

I had no way of knowing, how major my life would be, and how very big, that that little motion my father made, just then, would mean to the rest of my entire life. I had no way of knowing. And I was scared. 


	15. The club

Mynara tried her hardest to ignore the many hundred or so questions and people following her around throughout the school day. She did her best to think about school, to do her work right, to answer questions. She did her best to not jump out the window and take off running for the cafe.

It was ALL she could do not to jump out the window and just take off running. Cafe or not.

Many curious stares followed her as she walked down the halls, a few questions. There weren't many people in her school, and even less dating, and even rarer were outside relationships. They didn't seem to notice or care that she wasn't dating Axel. She wasn't dating him at all. She didn't even like him that way.  
>But maybe he did...<br>She shook her head, laughing at how ridiculous that was. There's no way he could like me lie that. She laughed quietly to herself.

Right?

As soon as the final bell rang, Mynara was out of her seat, fleeing down the hall. She never heard her teacher call "Have a good weekend! You all have three days to enjoy!"  
>Again, she ignored the many curious stares as she shoved everything in her locker and slammed it closed. She didn't need to study, she never did. She still had fifteen years of memory to make up for. Her mind was almost a sponge.<br>She could feel the eyes on her as she walked out the school's front doors, pulling off her white schoolgirl uniform and letting her white t-shirt suffice. She also unclipped the blue shirt she was forced to wear and stuffed the whole ridiculous ensemble into her vast, enchanted pocket.  
>Her pocket was quite an ingenuous invention, it never ended, you could fit a whole other universe in there, and still have room to spare. All you had to do when you pulled something out, was think about it expressly and it automatically came to hand.<br>Free from school for a whole three days, (and that horrid outfit), Mynara stretched her thin arms up to the sky, and then picked up each leg to stretch them out as well.  
>"Mmm," she groaned. "Pants are so much better than skirts." And then promptly walked off campus.<br>Walking into the tiny cafe on the corner, she glanced around. Axel wasn't there. She rolled her eyes and sat down at the table they had occupied only a few hours ago. She sat back and waited.  
>The same young woman from before, with brown hair and green eyes, walked up to Mynara holding another white mocha and a large tan mug of coffee. "He ordered for you." She explained. "He's in the bathroom. He should be back any second." And she walked away.<br>Thankful, Mynara took the mocha and sipped it gently. Ohh that was good. At least he was observant. It was exactly how she liked it.  
>She heard the chair across from her squeal, and realized she had closed her eyes enjoying the coffee. She opened one and gave half a dirty look to the redhead, who only laughed.<br>"Please, don't let me interrupt your pleasured moment. You seem to like that." He grinned evily.  
>This time, she gave him a full dirty look and continued sipping. She eventually set down the cup. "So? What do you want?"<br>"I want a little privacy, I can't tell you everything with an audience. It's classified." He jokingly spoke the last word and winked at her.  
>Mynara rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I want to get something. We can talk later."<br>The girl with white hair got up and walked over to the counter. "Can I get a red velvet cupcake to go?"  
>"Sure," the barista with bright pink hair and about thirty body piercings dove into the display case and pulled out the requested cake. "7 munny." She announced.<br>Mynara reached for her pocket and wallet, when seven round gold coins dropped onto the counter in from of her. "My treat."  
>Again, the white girl rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. "Don't mother me, I'm the female."<br>"But who wears the pants?" Axel grinned wolfishly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, I got a lot to spare, let me treat you right."  
>"Don't expect me to do things your way, Spikes." Mynara shrugged out from his hand and glared at his smirk. Warningly, she let her most terrifying expression flash across her face, before replacing it with an obviously fake smile. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much." She almost hissed at him.<br>He obviously took the hint, his grin did slightly waver, but it came right back as he chortled. "Fine, fine sugar. Just remember I'm in a giving mood right now, and that's pretty rare.

Axel took Mynara out onto the street, and soon after they had left the Cafe, at least ten people followed, trying to look inconspicuous. They failed miserably.  
>Axel only rolled his eyes, letting his hand slip around her shoulders. Before she could retort or slap him away he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Just bare with me, okay?"<br>"Bare with you? Doing what?"  
>"Just play along. You don't have to mean anything, I'm just trying to clear our backs."<br>She glared up at him, only turning her head a little ways. "Fine."  
>"Hey, babe." Axel let his voice get loud enough for the people behind them to hear. "You wanna go party?"<br>"Uh sure, why not?" Mynara looked up and faux-smiled, giving the illusion of adoration. She made sure to give it just the slightest sour note, only Axel picked up on it. He just grinned wider.  
>"Great, I'll call Daniel." His grin widened even more, and he slipped his hand into her back pocket. He pulled out her cell phone and started to dial it. When it picked up he laughed. "Hey, what's up D-master? Yeah, you know it. Hey, me and the girl wanna party, you got the car? Great, meet us there. There soon." His grin, (if possible,) got wider as he slipped the phone back into her pocket. And then slapped her.<br>She almost froze, looking quite surprised, and then pissed. She certainly jumped a little.  
>She smirked evily back up at the redhead. "I'm going to punish you for that later." She vowed.<br>"Nah, I'll probably like it." He just kept walking.

As they went, only a few people kept following, even after Axel had pulled her hand and tried to ditch them. They had been free for a minute, if only from the curious gazes of the teenagers. But there were still people around, glancing in confusion, and sometimes staring at the male's large red spikes.  
>And then three students came back into veiw. One had a camera, and was about to snap a picture of the two. Suddenly, Axel yanked on Mynara's arm and pulled her into a somewhat musty ally. There was a garbage bin, and a recyclables box or two, but the place went all the way through to another street. "It's shorter, trust me." And the two were running down the street.<p>

When the two finally slowed down, they were standing in front of a large limousine, all sleek and black, with tinted windows and everything.  
>As they stood there, the door opened and a grinning dirty blond grinned at them. "Hey there, you must be this Mynara I hear so much about. The name's Demyx!" He held out a somewhat large, yet still smaller than Axel's hand. She reached for his hand and shook it gently.<br>"Yeah, this is her. Now come on, let's get in before that camera kid finds us. What is with your classmates and stalking people?"  
>"Camera? Dude, get in here before we are totally screwed." The blond ducked backward into the short car, and slid out of sight, beckoning hands were all that could be seen.<br>Axel held the door open. "Ladies first," he bowed sarcastically. She raised a brow before scooting into the vehicle. Axel followed close behind.  
>Through the tinted glass, Mynara could see her classmates emerge from the alleyway Axel and she had run through, and look around. They saw nothing, but a few of them spotted the limo.<br>One snapped a picture, before the vehicle suddenly took off down the street. Axel flipped off Myn's classmates, laughing to himself that they couldn't see.  
>"So, where you from?" The dirty blond asked of the girl.<br>She took a good look at him, blinking in surprise and then amusement. He wore his hair slightly shorter on the sides than the middle, and most of the middle was spiked upward toward the roof of the car.  
>"Oh this? It's a mullet. So yeah, where you from?"<br>"I uh, I don't know."  
>"You don't know?"<br>"M-mm." She shook her head. "I don't know."  
>"How about how old you are?"<br>"Uh, we think somewhere around sixteen, seventeen." She felt a little awkward, but the feeling was quickly disappearing.  
>"Uh, okay then..? I'm twenty-one!"<br>Axel snorted in laughter. "No you're not!"  
>Demyx pouted. "Yes I am. I look it, don't I? And that's how old I've been since you-know-what." He sulked slightly. "I don't look a good hundred or so years old, do I?"<br>"No, you don't. But then again, none of us do. But we are." He snickered.  
>"Um, what?" Mynara blinked at the two men in the car with her. "What do you mean?"<br>"Oh, nothing." Axel grinned at her. "We're just arguing about our ages compared to our faces." He snickered. "How old do I look. Demyx, not you."  
>"Uh, I'm guessing around twenty-five. Am I wrong?" She blinked in confusion.<br>"Yes, you are. Good guess though. About twenty. I was almost twenty."  
>"Was?" She asked.<br>"Yeah..." Demyx looked a little uncomfortable. "You didn't tell her?"  
>"Tell me what?" The young girl demanded.<br>"Calm down, girly. You're okay. Just listen. You ever heard the term 'Nobody'?" She nodded slightly.  
>"They're heartless that still retain some semblance of self. That still kinda look like the human they were created from. Basically people without hearts." She told them what she knew. "But they're just a myth, Reno tells me."<br>"Aha, see now that's where you're wrong. We do exist." Axel smiled at her. "We are very real indeed. Just not alive."  
>She stared. "Nu-uh. No way. First, obnoxious idiot follows me everywhere, then kidnaps me into a LIMOUSINE, and then tells me he's not alive. That's a little too much, Axel!" She snapped at him.<br>Demyx cowered in the corner. "So, you're not coming to the party tonight?" He asked.

She ended up going, just because Demyx begged her to go. But she decided to seek out a friend that night first.  
>"Hey, yeah, Josie, is Maria there?"<br>"Yeah, she is. Why?"  
>"Can I talk to her?"<br>"She's a little busy. Hold on a sec." Mynara waited patiently while her friend called out across the room for the other girl she wanted to talk to. "Here she is."  
>"Hey Sugar, how you doing?"<br>"Maria!"  
>"What? Just thought I'd tease you about your new boyfriend." Her friend laughed. "Speaking of which, why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?"<br>"I'm not, but he and his friend have kidnapped me to a bar downtown and are partying like crazy. MAN these guys can hold their liquor. They have a few others with them too. Can you help me out?"  
>"Are any of them hot?"<br>"Actually, yeah, most of them are quite pretty, but I'm SO not into that right now!"  
>"Dude, you're partying downtown with a bunch of young men, and you didn't invite us? Girlfriend, where are your manners?"<br>"I was KIDNAPPED!"  
>"You got in the car, hot stuff." Long, thin, very warm hands wrapped themselves around her waist and a low, husky voice spoke into her ear. The very same ear the phone was held up to. The white haired girl, shuddered.<br>"Who was that? Mynara, honey! Where are you?"  
>"We're at a club downtown, 6th and Halling, get down here quick and you may get a hot friend of mine to dance before they start bumping into each other again. They like bumping groins." Axel snatched the phone from Mynara's hand, and stuffed it into her back pocket like last time, only this time he held his hand there, just over her jeans, holding her from behind and grinning at her reaction. His wandering hand was playing around the bottom of her white t-shirt, and the way her eyelids flickered, the disco lights bouncing off her pale skin, the thin black spiral under her left eye...<br>Gently but surely, his hand wandered toward the center of her body, gently flicking his fingers over her lower stomach and then down, lower and lower, the whole time walking forward toward the wall.  
>When they got there, she let him turn her around and feel her up. She kept her eyes closed, pretending anything else was happening, but unable to escape the reality. And not really wanting to. <p>


	16. A nonexistant castle

Mynara woke up in a large white room, with a very big window and not a whole lot of furnishings.  
>On the wall was hooked two black robes and a few other things she couldn't really process.<br>Sitting up, she found she was fully clothed, (except for her shirt being the only thing missing) and the blankets and sheets around her were a deep black. With flames.  
>"Oh no," she whispered under her breath.<br>"Oh yes." A large, familiar warm arm wrapped itself around her waist. "Don't worry, you never let me do much. And I probably won't ever ask again, I got a little drunk last night." The teasing tone made her blush profusely.  
>"Did Maria and Josie show up?" She asked.<br>"Uh, your two friends? I think so, I saw them dancing with Luxord and Xigbar. Until Xig left to find Demyx. Then I think Marly took his place. They got a kick out of his hair." He chuckled at a memory she didn't have.  
>She looked down at her almost bare torso and blushed. "Where is my shirt?"<br>"Oh, that... about that..." He grinned sheepishly. "I kinda ripped it. Sorry. You can borrow one of my Tees until you can get another one."  
>She froze, looking at him scathingly. "You're not serious."<br>He burst into laughter. "Your face! Wow your face! That's priceless!" He threw an arm over his eyes and chortled. "I'm not serious, but I'm serious in that it's gone. I don't know where it went. It MIGHT still be on the floor somewhere, or it may have been tossed out the open window. I'm not sure I can't remember." He chuckled again.  
>"Oh no..." She moaned and got up. She shoved the bedsheets up and peeked under the bed. "Oh there it is." She reached under to grasp at the white material. As soon as it was out she dropped it. "No it isn't..."<br>Boxers. White boxers. Slightly sticky.  
>"Gross," she mumbled. She kicked them back under the bed. "You wear white boxers?"<br>"Oh that's where those went! I'll have to tell Luxord he left them in here." He sat up and stretched his arms up to the ceiling.  
>Mynara caught a glimpse and blushed, looking back down to hide it. He was hot. No question. But he wasn't interested, and neither was she.<br>Was she?

The castle was huge, large slabs of white marble, endless corridors, strange sounds, fascinating patterns in the walls, fascinating pieces of statuary/wall hangings/paintings. A A few lists of rules in one hall gave Mynara a very strange feeling. She didn't know if she wanted to read them.  
>Axel's warm hand gave her a little comfort as they walked, looking around at the large vaulting ceiling.<br>Axel's t-shirt was a little big, (okay, a lot big,) but she managed to not care so much. After quite a bit of search he had finally found a white one. She refused any other color.  
>When they reached the large man hall, many of the men from last night were seen lounging about of eating. They all smelled faintly of liquor and smoke machines.<br>She took a look around, recognizing many, but not remembering names.  
>"Axel, hey. You get lucky last night?" tall, skinny, older, maybe forty. Long black hair, just starting to gray.<br>"Ah, kinda. You Xig?"  
>"Nahh, Demy decided he didn't wanna play last night.<br>"Well good for him." Axel grinned at the older male.  
>"VEXEN DARLING!" Mynara heard shouting in the other room. "I need your HELP with something!"<br>Pink and black went zooming through the large hall and in through a certain door. Seconds later, a tall man with bubblegum pink hair was pulling a sandy blond back through with him. The later seemed to struggle.  
>"Let go of me Marluxia! I swear, put me down! I'm not helping you right now, I'm busy! Let go!"<br>"Oh Vexy-kins, pleeaasseeeee?" Large violet eyes pleaded with the shorter of the two.  
>"No." But the blond was hauled from the room anyway.<br>"Oh dear." Axel snickered, "Not good. THANKS MARLY!" he yelled.  
>"What? AXEL! Don't you DARE blow up my latest experiment again! MARLUXIA PUT ME DOWN! NOW!"<br>"I'm just kidding with you, old man." Axel called. "Don't let him give you a check-up. If he asks, just say no. He's always researching and what-not. He's been wanting a human to study forever."  
>Mynara raised an eyebrow at him. "This place is strange."<br>"You've only seen the welcome wagon." 


End file.
